Looking for things to do in Sydney with kids? If you are planning a holiday to Sydney with kids, your itinerary will need to include things to do that are suitable for young explorers. We have put together our Sydney with kids bucket list with the help of the members of our community who have shared what worked best for them on their visits, combined with our detailed local knowledge.

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Making sure the kids have fun things to do on holiday will make everyone happier but having said that, this is your holiday too, so we think finding a balance of family-friendly activities that everyone will love is crucial, so we have tried to make sure the grown-ups have some fun too.

A Family Bucket List of the Things to Do in Sydney with Kids

Families come in different shapes and sizes, so we have added ideas for three specific types of family groups. Finding things to do with toddlers in Sydney might seem hard, but we have uncovered some excellent options while doing this research. Amusing teenagers is another thing altogether, so we have looked for things to do that will not have them rolling their eyes all day. We have also tried to make sure mum and dad have some fun too!

• Families with kids under five years
• Families with kids 6-15 years
• Active families – for those who like to do rather than see
• Budget options – cause we all need a bargain sometimes.

Explore Sydney Harbour

Sydney Harbour, one of the biggest and best in the world, will feature highly on your list of things to see in Sydney.

There are many ways to get out and explore the harbour, and the age and interests of your whole family will play a significant factor in your decisions here, so here are just a few options.

Kids Under Five Years: Build Sandcastles on a Harbour Beach

The waters of the harbour provide lots of calm swimming options. One of my favourite harbour beaches is Balmoral Beach looking out over Middle Harbour.

There is a very safe swimming beach for little ones, lots of dining options for mum and dad and a playground area for when the sand gets too hot.

Other beaches to consider are Manly Cove just up from Manly Wharf, Clontarf Beach with its shaded playground and netted pool. In Sydney’s east it’s hard to beat Shark Beach at Nielson Park, part of Sydney Harbour National Park. On scorching hot days, its enormous fig trees providing the perfectly shaded picnic spot. There is also a cafe and restauant on site.

Kids 5-12: Take a Tall Ship Pirate Cruise

Along with being a pretty unique way to see the harbour, a tallship cruise is fun for the entire family. The cruise is an interactive experience on a historic sailing ship on the harbour. Search for gold, hoist the sail and maybe even fire the cannons.

You all have a chance to get involved on this cruise, and it is lots of fun no matter how old you are. During school holidays they sometimes offer pirate theme tours.

Active Families: Take a Kayak Tour

Several kayak tour operators are working in Sydney Harbour; there are also a couple of places you can hire a craft and explore alone, including Rose Bay in the east, Manly and Balmoral on the northern side of the harbour.

One very memorable family activity is a sunrise paddle on Sydney Harbour.

Budget Option: Ride the Ferry to Manly

Almost every guidebook suggests a ferry ride on the harbour, and the Manly ferry is the longest and most popular on offer. The public ferry leaves every half on from Circular Quay and will set you back a little over $8.

Once you arrive at Manly Wharf, there is plenty to do and this should be a fun day for everyone.

Check out our top 10 ferry rides in Sydney.

Meet The local wildlife

From half day outings at The Sea life Sydney Aquarium or neighbouring Wildlife Sydney Zoo to a full day exploring Taronga Zoo most kids love a chance to see native Australian animals. If you visit between June and October you mgith like to book a whale watching cruise that will take your out to Sydney Heads to watch the migration north.

Kids Under Five Years: Sydney Aquarium

See the world’s largest collection of marine life at Sea life Sydney Aquarium including the beautiful giants on Dugong island. Right next door is Wild Life Sydney Zoo, both this and Sea Life is air-conditioned and undercover so great indoor activities. Take a self guide tour or book one of the special animal encounters like breakfast with the Koalas.

All ages: Talk to the animals at Taronga Zoo

Taronga is a world-class zoo with some of the best views in Sydney. It is home to 350 different species and 4000 animals in total.

As you would expect, there are lots of Australian animal in the mix, with the Wild Australia section covering kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, wetlands birds, nocturnal native animals and my favourite spot, the Platypus House.

While there is a chance you will come across some Aussie wildlife on your travels, it is tough to find a platypus in the wild, so do not miss this chance! The zoo is open every day of the year.

Older kids: Enjoy the Bird and Seal Shows

The zoo has a bunch of free shows every day, but the two that are always a hit with younger kids are the farm walk and the pat a pet talk. The free flight bird show and the seal show are also favourites! I suggest you check the schedule the day before and plan your day around the talks you want to join.

Older Kids: Wild Squad Missions

Taronga has put together a bunch of missions on their free app to help kids get involved in their zoo visit. They choose one of six missions and learn more about wildlife on your visit.

Active Families: Wild Ropes

Explore the zoo from above – Wild Ropes is a 90-minute tour where you get the chance to watch the native wildlife from above. Using flying foxes, watch the kangaroos, koalas, and emus go about their day from your bird’s-eye view.

Suitable for kids over three years, the younger riders will have two courses allowing them to view koalas and possums. Kids over 8 and adults can ride all four courses. Find out more here.

Budget Option: Birthday Bonus

A day at Taronga Zoo is not a budget option, and there are not many ways to reduce the cost. They have a birthday promotion where you pay just $1 to spend your Birthday at the zoo. There are also combination tickets for sale that can save you money if you plan to visit the attractions included.

Read our comparison of zoos and animal parks in Sydney.

Wander Around the Royal Botanic Gardens

A perfect spot for kids to let off steam, the Royal Botanic Garden sits in Farm Cove overlooking the harbour. This 30-hectare garden was founded by Governor Macquarie in 1816 and has been a favourite spot for Sydneysiders ever since. It is open every day of the year, and entry is free.

Kids Under Five Years: Ride the Royal Botanic Gardens Train

While I love to walk around the gardens when exploring with toddlers or younger kids, the Choo Choo Express, a hop on hop off train, will help you cover the entire garden. Be sure to get off at stop 4 to see the iconic Mrs Macquarie’s Point view. The garden is also a good spot to let young ones run around for a bit if they are getting frustrated by being trapped in a pram.

Older Kids: Check Out the Free Exhibition at the Calyx

The current exhibition is Love Your Nature and features more than 20,000 plants. You can also check out the largest living green wall in the southern hemisphere.

Active Families: Take a Self-Guided Walk 

The Botanic Gardens is home to more than 25 sculptures. Ten of the best are listed on this map, but how many more can you find?

Once you are done, find a shady spot and have a picnic under one of the giant fig trees.

Budget Options: Free Guided Tours

The garden’s volunteers offer free 1.5 hour guided tours every day at 10.30am. From March to November, a 1-hour tour is also offered at 1.30pm.

Check out this A-Z list of Gardens in Sydney

Get Up Close to the Sydney Harbour Bridge

It’s one of the most recognised bridges in the world, and the Sydney Harbour Bridge is finally accessible to everyone, with the installation of a new elevator at either end to allow prams and wheelchairs to reach the main footpath easily!

Kids Under Five Years: Walk the Footpath

I like to walk from North to South, so the Opera House remains in view the entire way. A little over a km long, it should take you about 30 minutes, given how many times you will stop to take photos and watch the traffic.

There are new elevators at either end that were installed in Oct 2019, making this much, much easier than it was. In The Rocks, you will find the lift in Cumberland Street and in Kirribilli, it is in Broughton Street.

Older Kids: Visit the Pylon Museum

A visit to the Sydney Harbour Pylon Museum (and lookout) involves a little over 200 stairs making it best for kids who are steady on their feet (or parents happy to carry smaller ones).

The view from the top is breathtaking and along the way are a variety of items to see and information to absorb. Read my full review of the museum and see the amazing photos here.

Active Families: Scale the Top of the bridge

The Bridge Climb is of the most memorable things you can do in Sydney.

Kids 8 years and over are welcome to climb, and the climb is well-paced, so most people won’t find it too challenging. There are 1,332 stairs which sound daunting, but the views and the guide make it easier than it looks.

Check our guide on How to walk across or over the Harbour Bridge

Find Out More About Sydney’s Past

Our history might be short, but there is still plenty to explore, from the ships that first sailed our coast to the stories of the city’s criminal past and the ghosts that haunt the Quarantine Station. These tours are the perfect way to squeeze some education into your holiday.

Kids Under Five Years: Australian Maritime Museum

The Australian National Maritime Museum has a fun kids’ play area for under 5-year-olds and many regular activities. The biggest attraction there, however, are the various vessels that can be visited, including the Endeavour, a replica of Captain Cook’s ship that first sailed to Australia. There is also a submarine, a destroyer, a navy patrol boat and several smaller boats.

The catch with visiting these ships is that kids must be over 90cm tall. The average three-year-old probably fits this, but of course, all kids are different. Older kids and mums and dads will love this too.

Older Kids: Learn About the City’s Gangsters

The Justice and Police Museum is housed in the old Water Police building at Circular Quay. There are a range of interactive challenges, including cops and robbers, where kids become detectives tracking a criminal or see if they can escape from the cells. There is also a chance to watch or take part in a mock trial.

For me, the biggest fun every time is the mug shots area where you can dress up and take a photo for free. The museum has limited hours and is open at weekends and some weekdays during school holidays.

Active Families: Q Station Ghost Tours

The Quarantine Station, better known as Q Station, offers a ghostly introduction to the city. This was the first stop for many of Sydney’s arrivals. The Ghost Trackers tour is suitable for kids 8-14 years and their parents. The tour includes stories and, of course, ghost hunting. Learn why this is one of the most haunted places in the country. There is a particularly scary tour for kids 15 years and over if you have an older family and are not afraid of ghosts!

For more family history experiences, check out the offerings of the Sydney Living Museums.

Budget Option: Rocks Discovery Museum

Why not take my free self-guided walk of the Rocks and drop in at The Rocks Discovery Museum.

The collection is minimal, but the staff are helpful, and there are some kids activity sheets to help guide you through the walk.

This self-guided history walk of Sydney’s CBD works with older kids

Play at Darling Harbour

Darling Harbour is the cities largest recreation and entertainment area stretching from Chinatown to Barangaroo. While the harbourside venue is under redevelopment the rest of the area is attracting locals in larger numbers than ever, especially when they run school holiday activities.

Kids Under Five Years: Sydney’s Best Playground

My 18-month-old granddaughter loves this park with its water fountains and play area, swings and slides, and climbing equipment suitable for kids of all ages. This park will make most kids up to 12 years old pretty happy with the variety of equipment.

If the weather is not cooperating, then head over to Harbourside and Caterpillar Lane, where you will find a 40-metre long indoor playground for younger kids. It’s located above the Harbourside food court.

Older Kids: Dress Up at the Chinese Garden

The Chinese Garden of Friendship has a few family-friendly activities like fish feeding, dumpling brunches and my favourite, the chance to dress up in a traditional Chinese outfit.

Active Families: Kingpin and Racecentre

Harbourside in Darling Harbour is home to a bunch of indoor adventure activities perfect for when the weather is not cooperating. Racecentre offers a variety of simulators from F1 to V8 and rally cars.

Kingpin has bowling lanes, laser tag, pool tables and ping pong, Karaoke, an escape room and a ropes course. If you have teenagers desperate to burn off some steam, then this is the perfect place to do it. The centre is open from 10 am till at least 11 am or later on weekends. Prices for all the activities are reasonable too!

Budget Option: Free Festivals & Fireworks

Darling Harbour is home to many of Sydney’s biggest and best free festivals, so make sure you check their What’s On pages to see what is happening this month.

There are usually fireworks every Saturday evenings, but Covid has curtailed these.

There are plenty of perfect spots for families to eat in Darling Harbour

Visit the Australian Museum

The Australian Museum has a collection of 21 million objects with some pretty awesome dinosaur displays. There is a strong focus on First Nations Peoples, particularly from the Pacific and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islands. The museum is open every day except Christmas day, and entry for kids under 15 years is free!

Kids Under Five Years: Kidspace for Games, Storytelling and Craft

The museum has a fantastic kids’ area, Kidspace and accompanying activity programs. Kidspace offers a story time period between 2 pm and 3 pm each weekday. There are also two weekly programs, Tiny Tots and Mini Explorers, held on Friday, although these require pre-booking.

Older Kids: Search and Discover

The search and discover collection allows kids to get their hands on dinosaur bones, taxidermied Aussie animals, live stick insects and lots more. Staff are on hand to answer questions.

While events are run year-round, there are significantly more events during the NSW school holidays. If these match your dates be sure to book any programs in advance.

Active Families: Dinosnore

The museum hosts regular sleepover nights for kids and at least one parent. It’s a chance to explore the museum once it is closed and sleep in the dinosaur room. Check their site for dates and book in advance.

View this guide to all Sydney’s Museums and galleries for more options

Learn More About Aboriginal Culture

There are a few places where you can learn more about Sydney’s First Nations history. The Australian Museum and the Art Gallery of NSW are good starting points.

Under Five Years: Mini Explorers Program

The Australian Museum has an interesting program for kids from 9 months to 3 years, Tiny Tots playgroup, where they will be exposed to First Nation’s history and culture through music, craft and games. Kids 3- 5 years are also catered for with their own sessions. Aboriginal educators run both programs.

Older Kids: Take an Aboriginal Heritage Tour

The Royal Botanic Gardens offers a daily Aboriginal Heritage Tour that shows visitors how the local Aboriginal peoples use the land and plants, taste bush foods (in season) and learn more about indigenous culture. I also love Dreamtime Tours which explore the Rocks.

Active Families: Bundeena Rock Art

This is a big day out of the city, but it will give you a chance to explore suburban Sydney. Take the train to Cronulla and then the little Tom Thumb Ferry across Port Hacking to the tiny settlement at Bundeena on the edge of the Royal National Park.

You can follow a walk from the ferry wharf that will take you to a significant rock art site. The small general store near the waterfront often has free pamphlet guides you can follow.

If you want to know more about Aboriginal culture in general and Aboriginal Sydney, the Creative Spirit website is a fantastic place to start.

Spend some time in the Australian Museum to learn most in a short time.

Visit Manly Beach

Manly has lots to offer families, from bushwalks, several family-friendly beaches, bike, kayak and surfboard hire, and plenty of chances to spot the local wildlife. It has been attracted visitors since the 1870s and is still a favourite day out for locals today.

Kids Under Five Years: Water and Sand Play at Shelly Beach

Explore the safe sandy beach, take a swim in the Fairy Bower Sea Pool or watch the little fairy penguins wander up the beach at sunset.

If you have not packed a bucket and spade, you can pick one up at one of the bargain shops along the Corso.

Older Kids: 10km National Park and Beach Hike

This hike follows the coastline from the harbour to the sea and takes in several amazing hidden beaches, Aboriginal rock art and a Manly Beach sunset at the end. 

The walk is not too challenging but best suited to older kids, as it is quite long. You can do this tour alone by following this walking guide; however, it is well worth going on a guide-led walk if the times and prices suit you.

The tour I recommend is led by volunteer guides, and the cost of the tour is donated to kids in need. The guides explain so much about the area and the flora and fauna you will pass along the way; it’s an excellent introduction to Sydney’s landscape.

Active Families: Snorkelling at Cabbage Tree Bay

If you have tried snorkelling before, you might like to grab some gear from one of the shops on the mall and head to Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve near Shelly Beach.

You can also rent them from the Manly Dive Centre. If you are not so confident, there are some well-run snorkelling tours where guides will help you and all your gear (and even wetsuits) are provided.

See our full list of things to do in Manly

Visit Bondi Beach

Sydney’s most iconic beach and the one you have likely seen on TV may not be everyone’s idea of the best beach in the city, but it is one that you ought to visit. This 1km long beach offers swimming, surfing and skateboarding opportunities. There is also a graffiti wall and the famous Icebergs complex.

Under Five Years: North Bondi Ocean Pool

Not the best beach for little ones, but the northern end has a children’s swimming pool, known as Mermaids Pool and a shade-cloth covered and fenced playground is a couple of hundred meters away, perfect when you need to get out of the sun.

For Older Kids: Check Out the Skate Park

If you are a family with older kids, you can swim in the north or head wherever you see the red and yellow flags. Flags are placed at the part of the beach that lifesavers have deemed the safest for the day.

Whatever you do, resist the temptation to swim at the southern end of the beach. This area is known as Backpackers rip and is quite dangerous.

For Active Families: Take a Surf Lesson

If you have older kids who like a challenge, then you will probably enjoy a surf lesson and where better to learn than Australia’s most famous beach. Let’s Go Surfing is the best known and respected surf school in Bondi and offer both small group and or Maroubra

Budget Option: Do the Bondi to Coogee Walk

The coastal walk from Bondi to Coogee is suitable for kids aged 5 and over. Along the way, there are several family-friendly beaches, like Tamarama with its popular kid’s playground and Clovelly with its sheltered bay.

There are lots of free BBQs at Bronte where you can cook your own meals or a variety of cafes if you prefer to dine in.

See all the local favourites on our Insider’s Guide to Bondi

Take a Self Guided Walk

Kids Under Five Years: Berry Island Walk and Playground

This hidden walk is great for visitors as you can reach it easily by public transport and it gives you the chance to take a short bushwalk in a landscape that looks much the same as it did a hundred years ago just 20 mins from the centre of the city.

Berry Island Reserve has a 750m circuit walk the Gadyan Bush Track while not really pram friendly (unless you have one of those cool offroad numbers), is easy enough for most little ones to enjoy and short enough that if you have to carry them, it’s not the end of the world.

There are good facilities with a fenced playground, gas BBQs and beautiful harbour views.

Older Kids: Glebe Foreshore Walk

This walk begins in Pyrmont near the Sydney Fish Market site and takes you around the waterfront for just under 2.5km to the very lovely Jubilee Oval. You can then continue to the food hotspot the Glebe Tramsheds or jump on the light rail back to the city.

I love this walk for the different views it provides, the western side of the Harbour rarely gets little praise, and it is lovely. You pass a couple of playgrounds along the way to help keep the kids on track.

Along the way, check out French cafe Bellevue Cottage for a delicious splurge brunch or lunch. Alternatively, pick up some fresh seafood from the market before you set off and picnic in the park. The walk is flat and mainly stroller friendly.

Active Families: Federation Cliff Walk & Hornby Lighthouse

This one is only suitable for families used to long walks or parents happy to carry their kids, lol; it’s not for the fainthearted at the 8km in total.

Your efforts, however, are well rewarded with not one but two lighthouses and a couple of playgrounds along the way.

Camp Cove Beach makes a perfect rest spot near the end of the walk, and the ferry ride back to the city is a fantastic way to end the day. We have a detailed guide to this walk here.

Hit the Pool

Sometimes it’s just so hot the only thing to do is get yourself into the water and cool off. If a trip to the beach seems like too much hard work, there are a few pools in the CBD that will have you splashing around in no time with very little fuss.

Kids Under Five Years: Cook and Phillip Park

Cook and Phillip is a city choice for the tiny tots; while it does not have all the bells and whistles of some of the big suburban swimming pools, it does offer a kids (leisure) pool where the temperature is set at 30 degrees year-round.

Toddlers will enjoy the slide and hourly wave pool action on weekend afternoons. Weekdays are best if you want a quieter experience.

Older Kids: Andrew “Boy” Charlton Pool

The “Boy” Charlton pool is a saltwater pool located adjacent to the Botanic Gardens and overlooking Woolloomooloo. This pool is named after one of the country’s most successful swimmers who won five Olympic medals during the 1920s.

While there is no special children’s pool, older kids will enjoy this pool with a view, and it makes a nice diversion after a walk through the botanic gardens.

Active Families: Jamberoo Water Park

Jamerboo is about 90 minutes south of Sydney and there are water play areas, water slides, fun rides and plenty more.

It’s a big day out but well worth the effort. Alternatively check out this list of waterparks closer to Sydney

Even more ideas

There are lots of family activities to be found in western Sydney from Sydney Olympic Park to Parramatta to the Parramatta River. Check out our guide to the best things to do in Parramatta for ideas.

The whole family might enjoy a street art search. There are several areas with a good concentration of murals. Consider the inner west where you can combine murals with independent shops, or Cronulla where you can discover over 20 murals between the train station and the beach.

You can have a no stress camping holiday at Cockatoo Island in the middle of the harbour. “Glamping” tents are set up and ready to go.

Take a day trip to the Blue Mountains and grab an Blue Mountains Hop on Hop off pass – kids ride free – and you can travel to the mountains using Sydney Trains to save on costly guided tours.

Planning Your Family Trip to Sydney with Kids

Choosing Your Accommodation

We have done some pretty extensive research on the best hotels and apartments for families in Sydney to make selecting the right property easier for you. We have considered things like the number of beds per room, special family facilities and the best locations for families.

Have questions about things to see and do in Sydney?
Head over and join our Facebook Group and we will be happy to help.